


Five Years Ago, That Afternoon

by juem87



Series: Picking Up the Pieces [3]
Category: Twisted (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-22
Updated: 2013-08-22
Packaged: 2017-12-24 07:34:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/937231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/juem87/pseuds/juem87
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A story about what happened the afternoon of Tara’s death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Years Ago, That Afternoon

Danny had always disliked his aunt. Not because she was mean to him or anything, she was indifferent to almost everyone around her, but because every time his father saw her he would stiffen up and any semblance of happiness would leave his face. Danny didn't understand it. Weren't brothers and sister supposed to love each other? Sure siblings fought, but their interactions, to him, seemed worse than just simple disagreements. It looked like they hated one another.

"If dad hates Aunt Tara then why is he letting her live with us?" Danny asked his mother one evening as she helped him get ready for bed.

"Your father doesn't hate-"

"It looks like he hates her," Danny said cutting his mother off mid-sentence.

She glared at him. "What did I tell you about interrupting adults when they're speaking? Your father doesn't hate Tara. She's his sister. He loves her. Get those silly thoughts out of your head and go to sleep." After speaking Karen tucked the sheets more tightly around her son, kissed him on the forehead, and left the room, turning the light off on her way out.

Danny wasn't convinced, and as time went on he doubted his mother's words more and more. He was reduced to a bystander as things in the Desai household became more strained with each passing day. His mother, to his amazement, remained blissfully unaware, more interested in being head of the PTA and attending parties and other social gatherings (dragging him and his father along when necessary).

With the building tension in the house, things were bound to come to a head. If the heated glares between Vikram and Tara were any indication, it was going to be soon. Danny fearfully awaited that day with hopes that his family would survive it.

\---

The day came in the form of a sunny Saturday afternoon. Lacey and Jo were over the Desai house, it being Danny's day to host their regular play date. They had been running, playing a game of tag when Danny felt the call of nature. He excused himself to the bathroom, while the girls decided to amuse themselves on the swings, and creeped into the house attempting to make as little noise as possible. His aunt had been in a particularly foul mood as of late and had already berated the children for making too much noise. Apparently the happy laugher of kids playing impeded her ability to write.

Rolling his eyes at his aunt's back Danny made his way to the upstairs bathroom. He was quick with his task wanting to get back to his friends. As he came down the stairs he heard the sounds of adults arguing. He made out his father's voice that was then followed by the higher tones of his aunt. Worried, but more concerned with his friends, Danny continued to make his way out of the house.

His father and aunt had been arguing more frequently when his mother was absent. At times Danny would strain his ears to listen, even going as far as hiding around corners or outside doorways to listen in on their conversations. He was never successful though. His father seemed to have a sixth sense as to his whereabouts.

"I think Kyle would be interested in knowing that you're fucking his wife!" This stopped Danny in his tracks. He had always called the man Mr. Masterson, he was one of the few adults in the neighborhood that hadn't relented to allowing children to call him by his given name, but Danny knew his first name was Kyle.

"Or maybe your Barbie doll of a wife. How do you think she would take the news? Her head would probably explode, her perfect husband fucking her high school friend!" Tara said harshly, laughing at the image in her head.

"I'm warning you for the last time, Tara, keep your mouth shut!" Danny heard his father respond. He imagined that Vikram was red in the face, eyes hard with veins bulging on either side of his neck. His father made a frightening sight when angry. "I won't let you destroy my family!"  

"This is all your own doing Vikram. I'm simply a witness, a deponent if you will," at his intensified glare Tara continued, "Even if I don't tell Kyle and Karen about your and Tess' torrid affair, I can always go to the authorities about your less than legal business practices. It's always nice for a company to have an accountant willing to cook the books, so to speak. Samuel must be a really good friend." By her playful tone it was clear to Danny that his aunt was having fun threatening his father. He hadn't heard her quite this gleeful in weeks, if ever.

"Tara," Vikram said voice dropping dangerously low.

"What Vikram? What are you going to do? You can't stop me! One day, maybe soon, I'll drop the bomb and ruin your perfect life." Danny didn't get to hear the rest of her statement. No one did. In that moment, Tara's menacing tones were replaced with the sounds of flesh beating against flesh intermingled with screams and pleading. Sounds that could only be his father beating his aunt continued until they were replaced by silence. Only it wasn't completely silence because Danny heard gurgling, almost as if someone was choking. Danny had watched enough horror movies to recognize that sound.

He peered around the corner of the doorway to confirm his suspicion. He was terrified, but he couldn't look away. There in the middle of the living room was his father crouched behind his aunt's supine body. He was holding something red. Danny realized it to be Jo's jump rope. It was fisted tightly by the man and wrapped around his aunt's neck.

After what amounted to minutes, but felt like hours, the gurgling stopped and Tara's body went completely still. Danny watched his father exhale as if a weight had been lifted from his body. He then rolled his shoulders, and turned to face the doorway.

"I know you're there Danny. You heard everything didn't you?" At Danny's nod, Vikram beckoned him forward. "Come here." Despite his fear, Danny did as his father requested.

"You heard what your aunt said. She was planning on destroying not only our family, but also the families of your friends, Lacey and Jo. I had to do it." Vikram looked intently into the eyes of his son. "And now there's something you have to do for our family... You have to take the blame for this. You're a child. They won't send you to jail. If the police find out I did this I will go to prison for life. Your mother can't handle that. Our family would fall apart. You have to save the family, Danny."

Vikram extended his arm out, "Take the jump rope son." And so Danny did, for his family.


End file.
